Biology Group: Laura Jarrett

Morgan Ball
Stephanie Lyon
Marc Secrist

5-E Model STEM Lesson

Title Alternative Fuels and Yeast Fermentation

Purpose/Rationale Students will be able to understand that fermentation is a process in which

microorganisms convert simple sugars into energy and is an important process
in the creation of biofuels.
Students will be able to know that ethanol and carbon dioxide are a byproduct
of fermentation and recognize ethanol is biofuel used as a motor fuel additive.
Students will be able to understand the life cycle and needs of yeast.
Students will be able to gather, analyze, and graph data.
Students will be able to understand various aspects of rate of change.
Students will be able to predict future data points based on knowledge of life
cycle of yeast.
Students will be able to understand how to calculate volume through water
displacement.
Students will be able to understand the engineering design process through
construction of their own working bioreactor model.

Community This lesson can be modified to meet the needs of exceptional learners by:
Resources and o Ensuring that all students have the capability to participate in the
meeting needs of class activity
students o Ensuring that vocabulary, tone, volume, and rate of speech is
conducive to concept mastery for all students
o Ensuring that all students have a sense of belonging and autonomy
within the classroom and within the scope of the lesson
Students will be working with their peers as well as the teacher to produce their
best work and in turn, understanding of the key and overarching concepts.

Virginia Science BIO.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning,
SOLs logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in
which
a) observations of living organisms are recorded in the lab and in the
field;
d) graphing and arithmetic calculations are used as tools in data
analysis;
i) appropriate technology including computers, graphing calculators,
and probeware, is used for gathering and analyzing data,
communicating results, modeling concepts, and simulating
experimental conditions;
BIO.2 The student will investigate and understand the chemical and
biochemical principles essential for life. Key concepts include
d) the capture, storage, transformation, and flow of energy through the
processes of photosynthesis and respiration.
BIO.4 The student will investigate and understand life functions of Archaea,
Bacteria and Eukarya. Key concepts include
 c) how the structures and functions vary among and within the Eukarya
kingdoms of protists, fungi, plants, and animals, including humans;

Virginia Math A.4 The student will solve multistep linear and quadratic equations in two
SOLs variables, including
a) solving literal equations (formulas) for a given variable
A.7 The student will investigate and analyze function (linear and quadratic)
families and their characteristics both algebraically and graphically, including
b) domain and range
A.11 The student will collect and analyze data, determine the equation of the
curve of best fit in order to make predictions, and solve real-world problems,
using mathematical models. Mathematical models will include linear and
quadratic functions.

AII.9 The student will collect and analyze data, determine the equation of the
curve of best fit, make predictions, and solve real-world problems, using
mathematical models. Mathematical models will include polynomial,
exponential, and logarithmic functions.

NGSS Cross-cutting Disciplinary Core Ideas

Concepts LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
Performance Expectations
HS-LS1.7: Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical
process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are
broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a new transfer
of energy.

Materials sandwich baggies, cornmeal, glucose, yeast, warm tap water, measuring
spoons, various plastic containers, rulers, graph paper, CO probe, computer,
2

sodium alginate, calcium chloride, hot plate, small beaker, syringes,

construction materials for bioreactor (open-ended), activity sheet

Safety and Class The process of forming alginate beads requires a hot plate and use of calcium
Management Issues chloride. Goggles must be worn in addition to nitrile gloves. Care should be
taken not to consume any of the chemicals in addition to avoiding burns from
the hot plate.
Construction will require a sharp blade. Proper handling of a blade is always
expected. If a class tends to have behavioral issues, the teacher has the option
to make any required cuts on student constructions themselves as requested.
Instruct students not to eat any of the yeast food sources.
Ensure students are following all normal lab procedures, as per their signed
safety contract.

Procedures for Teaching (include time frame)

Engage Teacher will pass out the Homemade Bread Recipe Students will have 5
Define Problem and tell students to work in pairs to answer minutes to discuss the
(10 minutes) questions listed at the bottom of the sheet. bread recipe with
Teacher will hold class discussion to determine the shoulder partner to
relationship between the ingredients of the recipe.
 determine answers to
activity sheet.

Students will share their

conclusions in group
discussion.

Scaffolding Questions for Student Pairs

What is the most important ingredient for making bread?
Why is yeast important in making bread?
What is the food source for the yeast?
What causes the bread to rise? (What interacts with the yeast to make it rise?)
How does sugar affect the growth of the yeast?

Class Discussion Questions

How do the ingredients interact with each other?
What is the purpose of the flour?
What would happen if the sugar was taken out of the recipe?
What would happen if cold water was added to the yeast instead of warm?
Would this impact the yeast growth? If so, how?
Whats causing the bread to rise? (production of CO2).

Making Connection from Bread to Experiment:

CO2 and ethanol are the by-products of yeast fermentation; however, ethanol
is difficult to measure, so we will determine yeast growth by measuring the
amount of CO2.

Explore Give each group a reuseable bag and a container Procedure:

Planning, Modeling, with probe attached. Hand out activity sheet and 1. Have students add
Testing materials, including feedstuff and yeast. one teaspoon of the
(30 minutes) appropriate feedstock
Divide the students into groups. Each group will into bag.
have the opportunity test a feedstock through two 2. Have students add
different methods. one teaspoon of yeast to
each reusable bag.
One group will have glucose as a sugar and the 3. Have the students add
other will have cornmeal. 50mL (1/4 cup) of warm
tap water to each bag
The teacher will be walking around to ask and zip the bag closed,
probing/connecting questions. removing as much air as
possible.
4. Mix gently. The
fastest results should be
achieved in 15 minutes.
Some will take the full
45 minutes.
5. Every four minutes
measure the amount of
carbon dioxide in the
bag or container, either
 through the water
displacement method or
through the carbon
dioxide gas sensor
probe, and put results
into chart on activity
sheet. *

What types of compounds can yeasts use as a food-source?

What types of byproducts does yeast create?
How can we determine the volume of the gas in the bag with no CO probe?
2

What quantities are being measured in the experiment?

What are the independent and dependent variables of the experiment?
How do you plan on labeling the axes on your graph?
What will your data points on the graph represent?
What do you notice about the rate of change of the yeast fermentation? Is it
constant/changing?
How does this inform us of what the graph should look like?

Explain After students fill out the Activity sheet, teacher Students will gather and
Calculations and will hold class discussion to talk about results and record data from the
Explanations of trends from the data. Fermentation in a Bag
Science and experiment.
Mathematics Select a student from each food group to compare
(10 minutes) and contrast graphs using the questions listed Students will graph data
below. and answer questions
based on patterns
observed.
Students will compare
graphs generated from
different groups and
discuss variation
between the volume
graph and the graph
generated by the probe.

Students will determine

best feed for yeast to
produce the most
amount of ethanol/CO2.

How did the yeast respond to different kinds of food?

Which compounds make yeast the most productive?
What quantity were you measuring during the water displacement portion of
the activity? (volume)
What quantity were you measuring during the carbon dioxide probe portion of
the activity? (density)
What other processes use fermentation?
Which results do you think were more accurate of showing yeast fermentation?
Why?
 How does the volume of the gas produced relate to the displaced volume of
water?
How did you draw your graph of volume vs. time? Why?
What was you initial value at time t=0?
What is the equation for exponential growth? (Pe^rt)
How do you see your data showing up in the equation?
What are the domains and ranges for your graphs?
Would you ever have negative x or y values? Why/why not?
What did you notice about the rate of change of the yeast fermentation?
What affected the steepness of the curve on the graph?
Will the data on the graph continue its exponential growth forever or will it
stop growing?

Elaborate Provide basic classroom construction materials and Students will form
Reflect and Redesign combine with those materials brought from home by groups of roughly four.
(50 minutes) students.
Students shall create
Begin by exemplifying how to separate and multiple drawn designs
immobilize yeast using sodium alginate. after completing brief
(Information can be found here: online research for
http://www.gtac.edu.au/wp- inspiration and
content/uploads/2015/12/Transformation-of- confirmation of yeast
Energy-in-Cells-Resource-2-Alginate-Balls-Lab- living needs.
Preparation.pdf
Once the groups decide
Exemplify proper use of knives. on their various design,
construction of the
Teacher will move between groups to monitor vessel will begin.
progress, providing advice only when the students Students will be
become stuck. Allowing the students to struggle expected to complete
and make mistakes that require redesign is needed their models with little
for their understanding of the engineering design teacher intervention.
process.
Design failures or flaws
The next day of class, initiate comparisons of each will lead to design
groups designs and results. reiterations and
construction
modifications.

The next day of class,

students will compare
and contrast the
strengths of all of their
designs using their
drawings, graphs, and
models. Possible
improvements may be
posited.

Questions students will need to address during design and build:

 How will you ensure that no carbon dioxide is leaking from your bioreactor?
What are the needs of yeast and how will you ensure that they have been
provided for?
How will the probeware be protected from immersion in water?
How can a successfully constructed vessel be further improved?
Definition of continuously producing ethanol.

Evaluate

Formative What information or data can the teacher collect to assess the development of
students learning?
The teacher can assess student learning by taking note of the relevance and
strength of student designs, i.e. does the design attend to the needs of the yeast
by providing appropriate living conditions? Can the design effectively measure
CO2? Is the food source appropriate? Any misconceptions or
misunderstandings about yeast metabolic functions, including anaerobic
respiration, would be reflected in design flaws. These flaws can be used as a
jumping off point for further understanding of the engineering design process.

Summative Students will complete a short-answer homework assignment and turn it in the
next class period. Attached below.

Activity Sheet Attached

*Modified from Oregon State Universitys Fermentation in a Bag lesson
http://hardwoodbiofuels.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Fermentation-in-a-bag-activity.pdf
Name: _________________________ Date: ______________ Period: __________

Homemade Bread Recipe

Ingredients:
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

2-1/4 cups warm water (110 to 115)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons canola oil

6-1/4 to 6-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups

flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a

soft dough.

2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm

place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Shape

each into a loaf. Place in two greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until

doubled, about 30-45 minutes.

4. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when

tapped. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Explain how each ingredient works together to make bread.

Which ingredients cause the dough to rise?

Fermentation in a Bag* Name:____________________________

Part 1: The purpose of this activity is to observe the fermentation of sugars by yeast to produce
both carbon dioxide (CO ) and ethanol. Its up to you to determine which food source is most
2

effective for the yeast to produce these chemicals.

To do this, you will be using water displacement to determine the volume of CO produced by
2

the reaction.

Materials:
Sandwich bag (containing yeast and a food source)
Large plastic container with ruler secured inside
Stopwatch
Measuring tape
Packing tape
Small beaker
Hot plate
Graph paper

Safety Concerns
Wear your goggles and nitrile gloves at all times during this experiment.
Do not eat any of the provided yeast food sources.
Follow all normally expected lab procedures.

Procedure:
1. In the following space, write which food source your group was given:

2. Place 50 mL of water in the small beaker. Turn the hot plate on a medium setting, and
place the beaker on top so the water warms up while you set up the container. DO NOT
BOIL THE WATER. Seriously.
3. Fill the container with water so it is about halfway full. Read the height of the waters
surface on the ruler, and record it in Table 1 in the cell labeled Initial Height.
4. Select a team member to be The Dunker. Have The Dunker put their hand into the
container so their fingers touch the bottom. Read the height of the waters surface on the ruler,
and record it in Table 1 in the cell labeled Height w/ Hand.
5. Remove The Dunkers hand. Approximate the water in the container as a rectangular
prism, and measure its length, width, and height. (You may end up with a different
measurement than what the ruler in the container states, depending on if it touches the
bottom.) Use this information to calculate the volume of the water, and record it in the cell
labeled Initial Volume.
6. Using the data recorded in Height w/ Hand, calculate the volume of the water when
The Dunkers hand is in the container. Record this in the cell labeled Volume w/ Hand.
7. Now, carefully pour the warm water into the bag containing the yeast mixture. Get as
much air out of the bag as possible, and seal it shut. Mix the contents of the bag
thoroughly. Once you seal the bag, start the timer on the stopwatch.
8. Have The Dunker push the bag to the bottom of the container, and record the height of
the water surface in the Height column in Table 2.
9. Repeat Step 8 every four minutes, for about a half hour.
10. In between trials, start filling out the other two columns of Table 2. Net Height Increase
is the difference between the water level with the bag submerged and the water level with The
Dunkers hand; Displaced Volume would be the volume of the amount of water whose height
is the Net Height Increase.

Table 1
Initial Height (cm) Height w/ Hand (cm)

Initial Volume (cm )

3
Volume w/ Hand (cm ) 3

Table 2
Time (minutes) Displaced Height (cm) Net Height Increase (cm) Displaced Volume (cm ) 3

12

16

20

24

28

11. On your graph paper, plot the relationship between the Displaced Volume and Time. Label
your axes, scales, and whatever else you see fit.
Part 2: Build Your Own Bioreactor
In this portion of the activity, you will use what you have just learned about yeast to
design your own model of an ethanol-producing bioreactor - an endeavor known as
bioprocessing. Bioprocessing is the use of living organisms or their parts to solve industrial
problems in the world. A bioreactor is a vessel with an environment where a particular organism
may thrive while also creating a useful product for humans.
Problem: Ethanol is produced from corn when yeast cells ferment the sugars found
within the corn starches. The United States uses this ethanol as an alternative fuel to gasoline.
However, the process of fermentation to create this ethanol through bioprocessing can become
quite expensive. Your challenge today is to create a small model of a bioreactor that can
continuously produce ethanol using yeast. Continuous production, as opposed to batch
production, is cheaper and more efficient because it uses the same yeast indefinitely. A method
for separating the yeast from its ethanol product using sodium alginate exists to allow it to be
reused. Your teacher will demonstrate this process for you to use during your design.
This problem is open-ended! Use what you learned in the Fermentation in a Bag activity
to decide what would be the best food source for the yeast, research appropriate living
conditions for the yeast, and build an airtight vessel using household and classroom supplies.
The vessel needs to be airtight because carbon dioxide production is a byproduct of ethanol
conversion by yeast that you will be measuring to ensure that your bioreactor is functioning.
Begin by drawing possible designs in groups of four and then constructing from the
available materials. Once you have created your vessel, add the alginate/yeast combination,
water, and your food source and begin observing your reaction. You will determine if your yeast
is effectively making ethanol by monitoring increases in CO2 levels using ProbeWare and
performing some related mathematical functions to explain the rate of production.

Additional Materials
Exact-o knife or similar
Plastic tupperware or similar
Caulk, plumbers tape, or similar
Carbon dioxide detecting probeware
Sodium alginate
Calcium chloride
Syringes/droppers
Nitrile gloves
Anything you find necessary!

Safety Concerns
The process of forming alginate beads requires a hot plate and use of calcium chloride.
Goggles must be worn in addition to nitrile gloves. Care should be taken not to consume
any of the chemicals in addition to avoiding burns from the hot plate.
Construction will require a sharp blade. Proper handling of a blade is always expected.
Do not eat any of the yeast food sources.
You will be expected to follow all normal class laboratory procedures.
Bioprocessing Reflection Homework
Name:__________________
Date:___________________
Period:_________________

Answer the below questions in complete sentences and paragraph form using what you learned from
your Bioprocessing Design Project.
 1. What environment did you need to create for the yeast so that they would respire anaerobically?
How did you control light, temperature, oxygen, and food source levels? Did you need to attend to
all of these?

2. How did you determine the efficiency of your bioreactor using the data gathered from the CO 2

probe? (Think of what you learned from our in-class discussion - what aspect of the graph is related to
production over time?)

3. Comparing the graph generated by your bioreactor to those generated by your classmates
reactors, whose was most efficient? What features of the reactors affected the efficiency?

4. Looking back, how would you improve your bioreactor design to improve efficiency? You may
assume that resources would not be a constraint to your redesign. List at least two changes.